“I Am No Longer Free to Raise My Child the Way I Want”. the Experiences of Ethnic, Religious, or Cultural Minority Families with the Dutch Child Welfare System

Many social problems linked to ethnic minority families end up in the child welfare system. For example, courts are tasked to decide whether particular cultural practices of migrant and minority families constitute child abuse, and what actions should be taken with families suspected of being involved in practices such as honour-related violence or radicalisation. At the same time, marginalisation as well as differences in decision-making by state actors has been shown to contribute to an overrepresentation of ethnic minority families in the child welfare system.

Child protection cases can be particularly intense and sometimes intrusive encounters with the state for the families involved. In this paper I will focus on the experiences of ethnic, religious, or cultural minority families with the Dutch child welfare system. While some parents actively ask for help, for example when dealing with family conflict or experiencing difficulties in raising their children; others are confronted with unasked-for or even unwanted interventions in their family by state institutions. Especially in cases where children are removed from their parents’ care this can lead to struggles over children’s belonging and identity, for example with regard to issues such as vaccination, attendance of religious events, food restrictions, or clothing or hair.

The paper is part of a larger research project on the role of conceptualisations of culture, ethnicity and religion in court cases on children. The project is an ethnographic study using different methods including an analysis of court files and court judgements; interviews with parents and other family members; interviews with court actors such as judges and lawyers; with NGOs and child welfare social workers, and with religious representatives.